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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27854286">Youthful Sentiment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakunade/pseuds/Sakunade'>Sakunade</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends, Family Fluff, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:41:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27854286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakunade/pseuds/Sakunade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Johnny’s first impression of Jaehyun? Annoying and clingy. A ball of destruction and chaos and an insane force of nature with nonstop energy. But Jaehyun was determined to make himself become Johnny's best friend, no matter what. </p>
<p>I decided to throw this little baby together for the #30DayJohnJaeChallenge - Day 2: Eight Years</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Youthful Sentiment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Johnny first met Jaehyun when their mothers had arranged a playdate for them after school one day when Jaehyun had first moved to the neighborhood. Johnny was nine, and Jaehyun, seven at the time. Their mothers had met at work and upon learning they both had young boys close in age, they figured it would be a good opportunity for them to make new friends. </p>
<p>Johnny’s first impression of Jaehyun? Annoying and clingy. A ball of destruction and chaos and an insane force of nature with nonstop energy. </p>
<p>Jaehyun immediately clung to Johnny like an older brother, inviting himself over all the time and making himself at home. Rummaging through Johnny’s kitchen, looking for snacks, or through the books and comics on his shelves. But to their moms, it was a ‘success’ and they suggested the boys meet every day until their parents got home.</p>
<p>It drove Johnny insane. </p>
<p>Like every other day after school, Jaehyun was opening the cabinets in search of food. As if his cheeks weren’t already so full and fat. Johnny leaned against the doorframe, watching as Jaehyun closed the fridge for the tenth time in an hour. </p>
<p>“Dude, what are you looking for?” </p>
<p>“I dunno, something sweet. Got any honey butter chips?” </p>
<p>Johnny rolled his eyes as Jaehyun huffed and pouted, moving back to the pantry. His mom’s voice echoed in his ears. Jaehyun had just moved here from Korea and wasn’t familiar with the American culture. He hadn’t started school yet or had any other friends his age yet.</p>
<p>Johnny could see why, if this was how he just helped himself to everyone’s stuff without asking.</p>
<p>He walked over and opened the side pantry, tossing the bag to Jaehyun and grabbing some cookies for himself. “Come one, let’s just play some games then I gotta do some homework. Maybe your mom will pick you up early today.”</p>
<p>“When you come over this weekend, we’ll eat lots of snacks. Mom always keeps extra stuff in the special cupboard in my room!” </p>
<p>Johnny climbed the stairs to his room with Jaehyun in tow, following behind like a shadow attached to his hip. He flopped down on his bed and turned on the TV, setting up the 360 with Call of Duty. </p>
<p>Of course, Jaehyun copied him and did the same thing. Throwing himself on Johnny’s bed, socked feet dangling over the edge. He grabbed the other controller and a pillow, propping himself up as the opening credits rolled.</p>
<p>Jaehyun, Johnny learned, was very competitive.  </p>
<p>And a really sore loser. </p>
<p>After an hour straight of losing round after round, Jaehyun got up from the bed and sulked off, chips in hand until Johnny heard the Disney Channel on full blast. Another round of High School Musical, from the sound of it. </p>
<p>Jaehyun had been using it to practice English, wanting to be "cool like Troy Bolton" but the marathon screenings of it were getting excessive. Johnny sighed and tossed the controller on the floor and trekked back down to the living room. </p>
<p>As he turned the corner, he found Jaehyun dancing and singing along rather poorly to "Bop to the Top." </p>
<p>Jaehyun, he decided, was more annoying than Sharpay. Johnny grabbed his backpack and sat down at the table to do his homework, trying to drown out Jaehyun’s horrible singing.</p>
<p>It felt like forever until their moms came home, laughing about whatever they had been talking about. Johnny immediately rushed over to tackle his mom in a big hug, rubbing his face in her side. </p>
<p>Behind him, Jaehyun shuffled over, crumbs on his face, using his sleeve to brush them away. Jaehyun hugged his mom and pulled her down for a kiss, before turning to Johnny and his mother. Polite and still in the Korean tradition, he bowed to her. "Mrs. Suh, thank you for letting me play with Johnny-hyung!"</p>
<p>Before he even realized it, Jaehyun’s arms were around his waist and pulling him into a tight, crushing hug. Johnny heard their mothers gushing about how cute they were and already making plans for the weekend. Jaehyun and his mother thanked their way out of the house, promising to go to the park together over the weekend. </p>
<p>“Bye Johnny-hyung!” Jaehyun shouted from the street, ignoring his mother’s attempts to load him into the car. He waved frantically, a wide beaming smile stretched from ear to ear, front tooth missing and all. </p>
<p>As if he wasn’t going to come over to Johnny’s again in three days. </p>
<p>Soon enough, seeing Jaehyun after school became just a normal part of Johnny’s life. Once Jaehyun started at the same school as Johnny, it became easier to just have the boys walk home together. During lunch, Jaehyun always joined Johnny and his friends at their table, despite the fact second-graders weren’t supposed to sit with the fourth and fifth graders. </p>
<p>His friends teased Jaehyun. All the time. For his accent, for being short, when he had trouble speaking English, for the lunches Jaehyun’s mom made for them. For clinging to Johnny’s side all the time and following them everywhere. </p>
<p>Johnny warned them to stop. </p>
<p>They didn’t. </p>
<p>Just before the summer break, Johnny trailed out of the principal’s office behind his mother, ice-pack pressed to his cheek and a swollen black eye. Jaehyun sat on the bench outside of the office, chewing on his fingers, waiting for him. He jumped as soon as Johnny walked by, joining him on the silent walk out to the car. </p>
<p>“Did you get in trouble?” Jaehyun whispered to him, leaning closer to get a better look at the damage. </p>
<p>“Extra work after school for a month. And I have to write an apology letter.” Johnny winced when Jaehyun tried to touch the bruise on his face. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t think you’d get into a fight.”</p>
<p>“It’s not a big deal. Andy was being a jerk. He can’t keep making fun of you for how you speak. He doesn’t make fun of my lisp, so why can he make fun of your accent? It’s not right just because we’re different.” Johnny shrugged and crawled into the back seat of the car, Jaehyun scooting in behind him. </p>
<p>Johnny turned to look out of the window, avoiding looking at Jaehyun and trying his best to ignore the pain radiating in his cheek. That bastard Andy actually hit pretty damn hard…</p>
<p>It’s not until he felt the weight of Jaehyun’s head on his shoulder that the pain dulled. Johnny glanced down to find the messy bed of light brown hair, messy and sticking in all directions leaning into him. A strange fondness itched its way under his skin and into his chest. Something he wasn’t familiar with, and wouldn’t understand until much later. </p>
<p>He decided it was a result of the fight. </p>
<p>It wasn’t long after Jaehyun officially declared Johnny as his best friend. To celebrate their newfound ‘best-friend’ status, he gave Johnny a misshapen lump of clay he made in art class. It was supposed to be a bear but looked more like a fat pig sitting on its back legs. </p>
<p>“Best friends forever...right, hyung?”</p>
<p>He didn’t know why he suddenly felt so shy around Jaehyun, the two of them just sitting outside on the porch of his house. He avoided looking at Jaehyun, instead just turned the clay figure around in his hands. </p>
<p>It was hideous but it made Johnny’s heart thump a little harder. </p>
<p>“Forever.”</p>
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